Just Another Monday in China

Sorry if today's blog is short. Between everyone beginning to feel ill and work being busy - not much new and exciting to report. Spent most of today busy with systems but overall work is going well and successful.

Dang Vikings lost again and are out of the playoffs. That's ok because I'm hoping for a Seattle and Indianapolis rematch. I think Seattle looks really good and Shaun Alexander is going to be a preseason #1 draft pick for Fantasy Football. Curious how Bush will go in the Fantasy rounds as he has a lot of potential but do you draft a rookie????

Tomorrow morning we're going to Hong Kong. Yes, taking the slow boat to Hong Kong, then the slow boat back to mainland China again. I was trying to figure out where that expression came from and here's what I found:

The phrase was popularized by the song "On a Slow Boat to China," written by Frank Loesser (1910-1969), copyrighted in May 1948. Loesser is perhaps the most versatile of all Broadway composers, having written the music for such famous shows as Where's Charley (1948), Guys and Dolls (1950), Most Happy Fella (1956), and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961).

The lyrics for "Slow Boat to China" start:

I'd love to get you

On a slow boat to China,

All to myself alone.

Get you to keep you in my arms evermore,

Leave all your lovers

Weeping on the faraway shore.

Where did he get the phrase? His daughter, Susan Loesser, author of a biography of her father, writes:
"I'd like to get you on a slow boat to China" was a well-known phrase among poker players, referring to a person who lost steadily and handsomely. My father turned it into a romantic song, placing the title in the mainstream of catch-phrases in 1947.

So there ya go. Might need that information on Jeopardy sometime! Oh yeah, and Jimmy Buffett did a remake of it so it has to be good right?

Here's a picture of my security guard friend at work. It's funny - they have a metal detector at the exits to make sure people don't have a 50 pound server hanging out of their back pocket. No matter how hard you try, the thing ALWAYS goes off so you have to stand in the box and get scanned by this dude. I've tried going one arm at a time, I've tried going through butt first, tried going through on my hands and knees... still goes off. It does for everyone though. It's funny to see the line during the shift change and he has to scan some 40 people in a row to get them out of the building. He has a good sense of humor about it though and loves to see what I'm going to try next to get through without setting it off. I've even contemplated walking through in my boxers but I'm sure that would set it off as well. The metal detectors at the airports should be like this one!!! I never set those off!

Best part about this guy is that he actually has fun and enjoys his job, unlike the Wacken-nuts back home that are mean and remind me of ogres.

I'm off to find some dinner, then head to bed soon. Have a wonderful Monday for those that actually have to work today. I know so many of you are off tomorrow and probably all week. Lucky bastards!